“Are you sure?”
“If you continue doubting me, I’m going to kick you out of this truck and drive it myself,” Aunt Tillie warned.
“It’s my truck.”
“I don’t care.”
Landon growled. “You drive me crazy.”
“Welcome to the family,” Aunt Tillie shot back.
I saw a small smile playing at the corner of Landon’s lips in the mirror as he focused on the road.
“Slow down,” Aunt Tillie instructed.
We’d been driving for about twenty minutes, our ball of light leading us over at least six different roads as we traveled farther into the country surrounding Hemlock Cove.
“If Annie walked the entire way to the inn, she must have been at it for almost a day,” Bay said. “Even if she cut across fields.”
“She’s lucky she found us at all,” Thistle said. “There’s nothing out here.”
“There’s the old Henderson place,” Marcus said thoughtfully.
I shifted, Aunt Tillie’s weight starting to make me uncomfortable despite her diminutive size as she rested on my lap. “What’s the old Henderson place?”
“You’re right,” Aunt Tillie said, tapping her lower lip. “I forgot about Zeke’s place.”
“Who is Zeke?” Landon asked.
“Zeke Henderson.”
Landon made a face. “Really? Zeke Henderson lived at the Henderson house? I’m shocked.”
“Just keep digging yourself in,” Aunt Tillie said.
“Zeke Henderson was kind of a hermit,” Marcus supplied. “He lived out here in the middle of nowhere for years. His house was pretty run down, more of a shack than anything else. He didn’t have any friends, and he terrorized most of the townspeople so much that they stayed away from him.”
“Oh, he sounds perfect for Aunt Tillie,” Landon said.
“Dig, dig, dig.”
“Anyway, when he finally died a few years ago, people didn’t even realize it until his taxes went unpaid,” Marcus said. “Chief Terry finally went out to check on him and found he’d been dead for months.”
“Does anyone own the house?” Landon asked.
“I think it was bought at auction,” Marcus said, wracking his brain. “I just can’t remember who bought it. If anyone did buy it, they’re not living out there. I think you’d have to be desperate to rent it.”
“It sounds to me like Belinda was desperate about something.”
“We just have to figure out what,” I said.
Aunt Tillie sat up straighter. “Stop here.”
“Where?” Landon asked, looking around blankly.
“Here!”
Landon slammed on his brakes. He put the Explorer into park and then shifted so he was facing us in the back seat. “Is there a reason you felt the need to scream?”
“That seems to be the only time you listen,” Aunt Tillie said. She pushed open the back door of the Explorer and hopped out.
“What are we doing here?” Landon asked, pocketing his keys and following her out onto the road. “What do you expect to find?”
“Whatever the spell wants to show us.”
“Which is?”
Aunt Tillie held her finger to her lips.
Landon huffed and stalked to the side of the road. His eyes were busy as they traveled across the underbrush searching for clues.
“What are we supposed to be looking for?” I asked.
Aunt Tillie shrugged. “Whatever we’re here to find.”
“Are you purposely trying to be cryptic?”
“I … .”
“Over here!”
Everyone’s eyes snapped up as Bay jumped down from the embankment and moved under the small bridge about fifty feet away from Landon’s Explorer.
“Bay!” Landon was following her. “Be careful, Bay. If you hurt yourself, I’m going to kill you.”
I raced after them, stumbling as I slid down the steep embankment. Landon caught me before I could hit the ground.
“Let’s all be careful, shall we?”
“Sorry,” I said. “I was just excited. What did she find?”
“It’s a car,” Landon said. “It looks like it was driven off the road from the opposite direction. No one saw it because it was hidden down here.”
“Is … is it empty?”
“I don’t know,” Landon said. He let go of my arms and bent down next to the driver’s side window. “Stand back.”
“Why? Someone could be hurt inside,” I argued.
“And someone could be dead inside,” Bay said, taking a step back.
“We won’t know until we open the door,” I said, refusing to give in to the fear washing over Bay’s face.
“Stay there, Thistle,” Landon warned. He used the edge of his shirt to cover the door handle, trying to preserve evidence I’m sure, and then gave it a tug. The door sprang open, and my gaze immediately traveled to the pale hand hanging next to the seat. It wasn’t moving.
“Is she … ?”
Landon reached his hand inside and pressed it to the occupant’s neck. I couldn’t see if it was a man or a woman, but intuition told me we’d found Belinda. “She’s alive,” he said. “Her pulse is faint, but it’s there. We need to get some help out here.” He pulled his cellphone out of his pocket. “Tell Aunt Tillie to get rid of that light. I refuse to explain that to emergency personnel.”
“SO, what do we know?”
Chief Terry had arrived at the hospital minutes after the ambulance carrying Belinda. We were twenty minutes behind, so we were hoping he had some sort of an update on her condition.
“She’s in bad shape,” Chief Terry said. “She’s was trapped in that car for days. If we work backward, I’d have to guess the accident happened about three days ago. Maybe earlier. We have no idea how long Annie was wandering around out there.”
“So, she got the bump on her head in the accident?”
“That would be my guess,” Chief Terry said. “I called out to the inn. Your mothers are bringing Annie here now.”
My heart flopped. “What? Why?”
“Because that’s her mother,” Chief Terry said.
“But … what if she doesn’t survive?”
“Then Annie deserves a chance to say goodbye,” he said.
“What if it traumatizes her?”
“I don’t know, Thistle,” Chief Terry said, aggravated. “If it was you, what would you want more, never to see your mother again or to say goodbye?”
I knew he was right. Still … . “You should have waited until you knew more.”
“He’s not sure how much time we have, Thistle,” Landon said.
“But we found her,” I protested. “She’s got a shot to survive.”
“She does have a shot,” Chief Terry said. “She’s got an even bigger shot at dying.”
I didn’t want to hear this. “Well, I’m glad you’ve got so much faith.”
Marcus walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist as he rested his chin on my forehead. “It’s not his fault, Thistle.”
“No,” I agreed. “It’s ours. We should have done the spell the day Annie showed up.”
I could see the same guilt washing over Bay’s face that was coursing through my veins. “She’s right.”
“Don’t do that,” Landon said, drawing Bay in for a hug. “We all did what we could.”
“It should have occurred to us, though,” I argued. “We should have been more proactive.”
“We can’t go back in time and change things,” Aunt Tillie said. “We have to look forward.”
“Are you a fortune cookie now?” I wasn’t really angry with Aunt Tillie. I was just frustrated. She was an easy target because she fought back.
“You need to calm yourself,” Aunt Tillie said. “We’re not going to be able to help Basil if you don’t.”
“Her name is Annie!” The light bulb in the lamp at the nurse’s station exploded, causing the receptionist to take cover, the
same moment my temper did.
Landon flinched. “Did you do that?”
I bit my bottom lip. I wasn’t sure.
“She’s out of control,” Aunt Tillie said. “She needs to cool off. Her emotions are taking over.”
Landon’s face was thoughtful. “That happened in Bay’s bedroom the other day. Are you saying they can do that?”
Aunt Tillie scowled. “Thistle did it because she was enraged. I think Bay might have done it for another reason.”
Landon’s chest puffed out slightly.
“Yes, you’re a stud,” Aunt Tillie said, rolling her eyes as she patted his chest dismissively. “That’s clearly the important thing here now.”
Landon deflated. “We need to put our heads together,” he said. “Annie’s grandparents arrive tomorrow. We have no choice but to hand her over if Belinda doesn’t wake up.”
“We can’t do that,” I argued.
“That’s why we have to come up with a plan.”
“I could take her and run,” Aunt Tillie offered.
“We have to come up with a plan that isn’t illegal,” Landon said.
“Legal shmegal,” Aunt Tillie said. “We have to do what’s right.”
“Before anyone even thinks of running off with that child, we’re going to put our heads together,” Landon said. “I can’t condone anyone running with her, and I can’t look the other way. This is too big.”
Aunt Tillie sighed. “Fine. I won’t run away with her.”
“I know you’re just saying that to get me to lower my guard,” Landon said. “It’s not going to work.”
Aunt Tillie opened her mouth to argue, but she snapped it shut when Mom, Winnie, and Marnie turned the corner and headed in our direction. They had Annie in tow, and the girl was tugging so forcefully on Winnie’s hand she was having trouble keeping up.
“Did you find my mommy?” Annie’s eyes were hopeful.
“We found her car on the side of the road,” Landon said carefully. “She was inside.”
“Where is she? I want to see her.”
“The doctors are working on her right now,” Landon said.
“But I want to see her,” Annie said, jutting her lower lip out into a pronounced pout.
Landon was patient, but firm. “I know you do, honey, but the doctors need to fix her up first.”
“But … .”
Marcus swooped in and gathered Annie up in his arms. “How about we go and check out the vending machine situation?” he offered. “I’m betting some candy will make you feel better.”
“Will I be able to see my mommy when we come back?”
“We’ll see,” Marcus said, leading Annie down the hallway. “We have to let the doctors do their work. They’re very good at what they do.”
“Okay.”
I watched them go, my heart filling with thanks that I’d found someone as wonderful as Marcus. The feeling didn’t last long.
“Where is she?” I tilted my head as an older woman and man rounded the corner, their gazes landing on me first. “Are you the woman who has our granddaughter?”
My heart started to hammer.
“Who are you?” Chief Terry asked, stepping forward.
“Officer,” the woman said, nodding to greet him. “I’m Arlene Denham, and this is my husband Tom. We’re here looking for our granddaughter.”
“I’m the one you talked to on the phone, ma’am,” Chief Terry said.
“Is my granddaughter okay? Why is she here?”
Chief Terry narrowed his eyes. “How did you know we were here?”
“We got into town early,” Arlene said. “The man answering the phone at your office told me you were here.”
Chief Terry nodded. “I see.”
“Why are you here? Is Annie okay?”
“Annie is fine,” Chief Terry said. “She’s getting a treat with a friend.”
“You just let her wander off with a stranger?” I didn’t like Arlene on sight. “Well, great, let’s send my grandchild off with a potential child molester.”
“Hey,” I snapped.
“He’s not a stranger,” Chief Terry said, raising a hand to still me. “He’s been helping to take care of Annie.”
“Why did she need someone to take care of her?” Arlene asked. “Is it because her irresponsible mother abandoned her?”
“Her mother is here, too,” Chief Terry said.
Arlene jerked at the news. I couldn’t tell if it was surprise because she thought Belinda was dead, or surprise because she really thought Belinda had abandoned Annie. “Belinda is here? If Belinda is here, why did you call us?”
“Belinda was hurt very badly in a car accident,” Chief Terry explained. “We believe Annie was hurt in that accident as well, but she has no memory of it. We discovered Belinda’s car this evening. She’s in pretty bad shape, but the doctors are working on her right now.”
Arlene straightened. “Well, I hope she’ll be okay.”
“We all do, ma’am,” Chief Terry said. “It might be a little while until we know something, though.”
“Well, I still think it’s prudent that we take Annie,” Arlene said. “She shouldn’t be hanging around a hospital all night. We’ll get a hotel room and take her with us.”
I balked. “She wants to be near her mother.”
“She’s a child,” Arlene said. “She doesn’t know what she wants.”
“Still, ma’am, I think it’s best to wait until we have more information about Belinda’s prognosis,” Chief Terry said. “We still don’t know what caused the accident, and Annie is already traumatized. I think she should remain here until we know more.”
“Are you her parent?” Arlene challenged.
“No, ma’am. You’re not either, though.”
I didn’t notice the man sidling up behind the Denhams until he was almost on top of them. “No, she’s not Annie’s parent,” the man said. “I am, though, and I want my daughter.”
I felt as if the floor was dropping out from beneath me. “Jonathan Denham.”
Nine
“You’re Jonathan Denham?”
The man was handsome – for a low-life pervert. His short brown hair was neat, with just a hint of gray at the temples. His brown eyes were dark and predatory, and his smile was pleasing – even though I wanted to kick his teeth in on sight. Actually, I wanted to kick his teeth in and then pour some lemon juice in there just for good measure. Oh, and then I wanted to glue his mouth shut – but only after I cut all of his fingers off and shoved them into his mouth so he’d have something to chew on. Yes, I know, I’m incredibly mean and vindictive. Maybe I am turning into Aunt Tillie? Oh, who am I kidding? I’m way meaner than Aunt Tillie ever dreamed of being.
“I see my reputation precedes me,” Denham said, his dimple coming out to play as he smiled in my direction. “And who are you?”
“This is Thistle Winchester,” Chief Terry said, stepping in smoothly. “She was one of the people who found Annie.”
“Well then, I guess I owe you a world of thanks,” Denham said. “If it weren’t for you, she might have wandered around the countryside until she died of exposure.”
Something told me he would have preferred that outcome. “Well, that’s not what happened,” I said, forcing my tone to remain even. “We found her, and we took care of her.”
“Oh, are you foster parents?” Denham was playing a dangerous game, and I wanted him to lose.
“No.”
“Then how did my daughter end up with you?”
“She was traumatized after the accident,” Chief Terry explained. “She wouldn’t speak. She seemed attached to Thistle … .”
“And me,” Aunt Tillie chimed in.
“And Tillie,” Chief Terry said, not missing a beat. “We didn’t want to traumatize her even more than she already was. The Winchesters run an inn. They had plenty of room, and food, and people to watch Annie. She was spoiled rotten during her stay.”
Denham glanced
around the room, his face unreadable. “Well, then I guess I owe you all thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” Aunt Tillie said.
Denham smiled down at her. I knew what he saw: A sweet old woman who he could charm and wrap around his finger. He was in for a surprise. “I’ll just bet you gave my little girl all the love she could ever need.”
Aunt Tillie remained silent, but I could see her mind working from here.
“I’m sure it wasn’t easy,” Denham continued. “It’s hard to take care of a little girl who won’t speak. It’s too bad she can’t talk. She might have been able to tell you what happened to her mother. That is a tragedy.”
“Belinda is alive.” I took perverse pleasure in telling him.
Denham remained still, but I could swear his eyes momentarily flashed. “If Belinda is alive, why did you call us?”
“We just found her tonight,” Landon said. “Her car was wrecked and hidden under an old creek bridge. She was alive, though. The doctors are working on her now.”
“And what did she … tell you?” Denham asked.
“She hasn’t woken up yet,” Chief Terry said.
Denham’s shoulders relaxed. “Is she going to wake up?”
“We’re not sure yet.”
“She’s going to wake up,” I said. “She fought this long. She’ll wake up. She has something to live for.”
“Do you have a problem with me?” Denham asked, the question a challenge.
“No, she doesn’t,” Chief Terry said. “Everyone is just worked up this evening.”
“I have a problem with you,” Aunt Tillie announced. For once, I was on her side.
Denham raised his eyebrows, placating the sweet old lady he saw in his mind with a smile. “Because I didn’t get here fast enough? I am sorry. It was a long drive.”
“Because you’re a sick pile of bat droppings that’s sat out in the sun too long and petrified,” Aunt Tillie replied, matching him evil grin for evil grin.
Denham was taken aback. “Excuse me?”
Aunt Tillie wasn’t anywhere near being done. “What kind of a man seduces and has sex with a high school student?”
“A sick one,” I supplied.
“A sick one,” Aunt Tillie agreed. “A predator. I’m guessing you preyed on Belinda because she was young and she didn’t have a lot of parental influence. You knew exactly what you were doing. The pregnancy probably took you by surprise, but I’m sure your parents either paid her off – or threatened her off – to keep your name off that birth certificate.”
A Witch of a Time Page 14
